Society

10 Year Old Takes Stand Against Pledge of Allegiance, by Sitting

A 10-year-old boy Arkansas boy got into a bit of trouble at school when he refused to stand and say the Pledge of Allegiance. The thing is, he had his parents' permission not to.

According to KNWA-TV, the boy, whose first name was not released, came home from school a couple of weeks and told his parents he didn't feel right saying the pledge. He said he didn't believe there was "liberty and justice for all," especially for gays. His parents said he didn't have to say it if he didn't want to.

Last week, there was a subsitute teacher in the class, and she kept prodding the boy to stand. Finally, he exploded and yelled at her. "Don't push him - four days of hassle, hassle, hassle and raise your voice," said Laura Phillips, the boy's mother. "He's going to lose his temper."

Phillips said she and her husband reprimanded the boy for talking back to a teacher. But other than that, they fully support their son. "He is not anti-American," Phillips said. "He is very proud to live here, but he knows even at 10 he can make changes." She said she told her son others might have problems with his stand, but he said he is ready for them.

"We would like to have the school make sure the teachers know the kids do have the right to sit down and make their own choices, even if he is only 10 and in 5th grade," Phillips said.

The West Fork School District responded by saying that it doesn't require students to say the pledge. The school did not punish the boy.